Use of ERC-1671 Vaccine in a Patient with Recurrent Glioblastoma Multiforme after Progression during Bevacizumab Therapy: First Published Report

摘要

Objectives: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a highly aggressive tumor, which recurs despite resection, focal beam radiation, and temozolomide chemotherapy. At recurrence, the only second-line treatment approved by the US Food and Drug Administration is bevacizumab (Avastin). To date, no single agent has shown to extend the life of patients with progressive malignant gliomas after bevacizumab failure. Once the tumor recurs during bevacizumab therapy, it is universally fatal, with death occurring within a few weeks. ERC-1671 is an experimental treatment strategy, which uses the patient's own immune system to attack the tumor cells. We report preliminary data on the first human administration of ERC-1671 vaccination, under a single-patient, compassionate-use protocol, to a patient with progressive, bevacizumab-resistant GBM.Methods: Treatment involved sequential administration to the patient of GBM tumor cells and cell lysates combined from three different donors with GBM, followed by the patient's own tumor cells and lysates. Results: The patient survived for ten months after the vaccine administration without any other adjuvant therapy and died of complications related to his previous chemotherapies. The tissues collected after two vaccination cycles and at the time of death showed a robust immune response and no viable tumor. Conclusion: These preliminary data strongly indicate that ERC-1671 could be effective in the treatment of progressive malignant gliomas. On the basis of these preliminary data, we are planning a larger study to assess the efficacy of ERC-1671 in the treatment of patients with recurrent GBM.